Some of these have parts from which I experienced from the Fourth of July, Hope you like it and happy 4th!
They are three right now so remember they still talk a little bit like babies and don't exactly know how everything works...
Today was the first Fourth of July that Monica and Chandler would be celebrating with their three year old twins Jack and Erica. They never got the chance to take them to go see the fireworks because Chandler was working the first year and they really wanted to do this as a family. When they turned two, they were all going to go see them at the park but there was a bad storm and they spent that holiday in the basement of their new home in Westchester.
But today they were prepared. They both made sure they had the day off and Monica checked the weather forecast to make sure it wasn't going to rain.
Being their first time seeing fireworks Chandler really wanted this to be special and make it a memory. So him, Joey and Ross all went out and bought fireworks to shoot off in their own backyard.
That night they invited the whole gang and their families along with a few of the neighbors that they have become close with.
"Jack, the fire is gonna start." Erica said as her and Monica walked inside to find him.
Monica walked in the living room to find Jack on the couch. "Honey, what's the matter?" Monica asked sitting next to him and putting Erica on her lap.
"I don't want to get on fire." Jack said softly
Monica rubbed his back "Sweetie, that's not going to happen."
"Is daddy gonna get hurt?" He asked
Monica looked at the scared child in front of her. She didn't know that he was this scared.
"Jack, do you want to go see daddy before he starts?" Monica asked
He nodded his head.
"Okay, let's go see him." Monica got up from the couch and reached out for Jack's hand but he moved closer and reached up with his arms to her.
Monica smiled and picked him up carrying him outside to where Chandler was with Ross and Joey.
Chandler saw them walk up to him and he smiled at Jack as he rested his head on his mothers shoulder. Being past their bedtime he was getting tired, but Erica was hyper than ever. It was always hard getting her to sleep.
Monica handed Jack over to Chandler. "See buddy, he is just fine." She told Jack
Chandler looked at Jack "What's wrong?" He asked
"I don't want you to get on fire." Jack said softly clinging to Chandler's neck.
Chandler didn't know that Jack was so scared. He was really excited a couple hours ago. "I won't get on fire buddy. They are fire works, they go straight up." Chandler explained to him
"You won't get hurt?" He asked
Chandler smiled "I could never get hurt with you worrying." Chandler kissed him on the cheek "How about you and Mommy go watch with everyone else." Chandler said putting him down.
Jack looked up at him then Monica grabbed his small hand in hers "Daddy is going to start pretty soon. Let's find your sister and get a seat." Monica said walking away.
And so they did. Monica sat right next to Rachel and Emma, with Mike and a pregnant Phoebe next to them. Jack and Erica were on the porch bench along the railing when the first firework went off.
Jack heard the boom and ran to his Mom.
Monica scooped him up in her arms and put him on her lap.
The next firework went off and Jack tired to get closer to Monica. By the next one he grabbed Monica's hands and put them on his ears trying to block out the sound.
Monica looked back at Erica making sure she was fine.
Erica was loving it. She thought the colors they made were pretty. She moved further back and sat next to Emma.
By the time all the fireworks were over. Monica's hands were off Jack's ears and he was enjoying them. When the grand finally came he thought it was cool.
Chandler, Joey and Ross were finished and made their way back to the house. Jack jumped off Monica's lap and ran to his dad.
"Can you do another one?" He asked
Chandler scooped him up "Sorry buddy, that's all we have." He said "Did you like it?"
Jack nodded "I wasn't scared."
Chandler smiled "Good." He knew how Jack took it to begin with. Chandler turned back and saw him on Monica's lap halfway through to make sure he was okay. Knowing he liked it in the end made him happy and wanting to do this again.
Jack and Erica are six.
"Daddy came we please!" They begged.
"It's not the fourth of July yet." Chandler told them
"But just one. Please..." Jack begged
Chandler looked over at Monica who shrugged.
"Okay, I'll light off one tonight."
Erica, Jack and Monica were sitting on the porch waiting for Chandler to light off the one he got from Virginia. Called 'The Black Spider'. This one Jack picked out to do among all the others.
Chandler shot it off and they all smiled.
They were clapping when Chandler came back up.
It was such a beautiful summer night they decided to sit outside.
"Sir."
Chandler turned around and saw a cop on the corner of his house. He walked up to them.
"Did you know that that firework is illegal, in the state of New York?" He asked
Chandler shook his head "No I didn't." He said
"Don't shoot any fire works off anymore." He said before walking away.
"Wait." Chandler quickly got up and walked away from his family. "I'm having a big party tomorrow and I got a lot more fireworks to shoot off." Chandler told him
He thought about it. "I'll be here tomorrow then, in your front yard to make sure nothing goes wrong." He said not wanting to have the man waste all his fireworks for his kids. They were starting to be really expensive and he probably spent over six hundred dollars on them.
"Alright, thank you." Chandler said "We are having a cook out earlier in the day that you are welcome to join us for."
He smiled "That would be nice, thanks."
Chandler smiled and made his way back to the other three. Erica and Jack were playing and Monica was trying to figure out what was going on and if they had a fine to pay now.
"What did he say?" Monica asked
"We can finish them off tomorrow, he will be here. And I have a feeling that that will be our last year." Chandler told her.
Jack and Erica are nine.
It was the night of the Fourth of July and no body was doing fireworks in their town. The year before the cops banded fireworks because of the trees around them that they could hit and catch fire.
They were all four on the couch eating popcorn that Monica cooked up watching the fireworks shoot off in New York City just an hour from where they are.
Erica and Jack really wanted to go but Monica told them no, they were too young to get caught up in a crowd like that. What if they got lost?
When it was done they all went to bed like any other day. It didn't feel like a holiday when you didn't see anything that represented it.
Monica looked over at Chandler across from the bed undoing the sheets "Do you think it was the right choice staying home today?" Monica asked
"Yeah, of course. You were right. They are too young. We can't risk losing them." Chandler said climbing into bed.
"Do you think they liked the fireworks even though they were on T.V?"
Chandler nodded "Mon, they said so many times that they loved it. Don't worry about it, next year we will do something."
Jack and Erica= ten
"You got everything?" Monica asked Chandler
"Mon, we won't be getting out of the car." He told her as Jack and Erica ran pass them and to the car in the garage.
"Yeah," Monica nodded and grabbed the bug spray in case.
Chandler rolled his eyes and closed the door behind them.
Chandler drove out of the driveway and closed the garage door.
They drove through town and saw some firework being shot off already.
"I thought we couldn't do fireworks anymore?" Erica said
"We can't." Chandler told her
"The cops are going to show up at their door like they showed up at ours." Jack said as he watched them from the back seat of the car. He remembered a few years ago when they were doing their tradition and having a Fourth of July party in the back yard the cops came up on the side and talked to Monica about stopping them because we were in a droute that year. The cops came a few times when they did them.
That is why Jack didn't want to be a cop, he didn't want to ruin the fun.
Chandler got on the free way and there they were, all going off down the road.
They rode for miles down the free way as they watched fireworks all over on both sides of the car.
It was pushing ten and Chandler decided to make their way back home.
When they pulled up Jack and Erica jumped out of the car and ran to the T.V. "Quick Jack, turn it on."
Chandler and Monica walked in to the fireworks being playing from New York City.
Years went by and Jack and Erica were now seventeen. This year Chandler was going to take them up to New York to see the fireworks that they watched every year on the T.V. They always wanted to go and so today they were going.
Monica bought them glow sticks. Even though they were older, they still loved those childish things.
They were on their way singing songs in the car. Erica and Monica would do the girls part while Jack and Chandler did the guys.
When they got there they didn't expect anything like what they saw.
It was crowded, there was a fair going on in the same place they did the fireworks and there was a live band in the back where there was also a beer tent.
"Alright, if anyone gets separated. We meet back at the Fairs Wheel." Monica said to which everyone nodded in agreement.
They did get separated that night, Chandler went to the beer tent, Erica and Jack found some friends from school that they went to hang out with and Monica had to use the bathroom to which she couldn't find anyone afterwards.
"Chandler!" Monica shouted over the loud band when she reached him "Where are the kids?" She asked "The fireworks are starting soon."
Chandler looked around and didn't see them "Let's go to the Fairs Wheel." He said taking her hand as they walked through the crowd together.
When they got there they saw them standing off to the side "There you are." Monica said
"Mom, lets ride this ride?" Jack asked "They stop it at the top once they start the fireworks." He said pointing to the Fairs Wheel.
"Jack, we don't know if we are going to be the ones at the top." Chandler said
"Yeah, but can we just try it out. Maybe we will be, but we won't know until we are on." Erica said
Chandler looked over at Monica who smiled "It could be kind of fun."
"Okay, I'll get some tickets." Chandler said walking away to a nearby booth.
When he returned they paired up Monica and Chandler in one, Jack and Erica in the other.
"Do you think they are enjoying it?" Monica asked as they started the ride and she cuddled close to Chandler.
Chandler knew Monica was afraid of heights so he wrapped his arm around her protectively. "I think they are." He smiled and kissed her head.
The first firework of the night shot up and the Fairs Wheel came to a slow stop.
They smiled as Jack and Erica ended up on the very top with Monica and Chandler behind them.
Chandler looked at Monica next to him and saw her shiver. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her just realizing that the wind was blowing and it was a little chilly.
Monica smiled at him "Thanks."
That night, out of all the other nights they celebrated this holiday, it was by far the best one. They watched from the ride up higher than everyone else and just as they were about to leave, walking to the car that was parked blocks away. They felt the ran come. Within seconds it started to pour down and all four of them were running back to the car.
Jack turned around and laughed. It looked like they were being chased by an angry mob.
When they got to the car Chandler was trying to get the keys out to unlock the door.
When he did they all jumped in and sat there breathing heavily.
Jack once again looked at the people surrounding him and laughed. Erica looked over at him confused, and when she saw what he saw she couldn't help but laugh with him.
Monica and Chandler turned in their seats and looked at their kids then each other. Monica started smiling and Chandler laughed. Pretty soon everyone was laughing.
All four of them were soaked from head to toe. You could see through their shirts and the running makeup on both the girls faces.
Even though the last bit of the night was ruined. They all got a good laugh out of it.
What did you think? Hated it, loved it, funny, enjoyable? Let me know please!